Bogor toasts 523rd anniversary

The resort town of Bogor celebrates its 523rd anniversary on Friday, and will be holding a series of events over the whole month.

Barongsai (dragon dance) parades, bazaars, music events and cultural performances will be a feature of the festivities.

The rainy town has been tidied up ahead of the celebrations.

On Thursday, about 30 students from Ibnu Khaldun University in Bogor, members of Atmawana, the student's outdoor activities, cleaned up the Kujang Monument located in the heart of the town on Jl. Padjadjaran.

Kujang is the traditional weapon of West Java, similar to Central Java's kris.

Besides cleaning the monument, the students also painted and restored parks around Bogor.

"This monument is an icon and one of Bogor's assets, because this historical town was once the center of the Pajajaran kingdom," said student club executive Radiansyah.

The old kingdom declined in the 15th century, succumbing to the spread of Islam from the coastal Banten kingdom into the region. --JP